JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

Socrates · April 8, 2017

Zoff: ‘Barca comeback not impressive’

http://www.football-italia.net/100779/zoff-‘barca-comeback-not-impressive’

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Dino Zoff says Barcelona must be “very careful” against Juventus, and wasn’t impressed with their comeback against Paris Saint-Germain.

The two sides meet in the Quarter-Finals of the Champions League, with the first leg to be played in Turin next week.

The Catalans only reached this stage with an incredible late comeback in the Last 16, beating PSG 6-1 with three goals in the final few minutes, following a 4-0 first leg defeat.

“It’s a great tie, and I’d tell the Spaniards that they need to be very careful,” Zoff told AS.

“This Juventus will never give up, in fact I have a lot of confidence…

“So Juve can win? Absolutely. In fact I wasn’t impressed with that match, that comeback, despite the media impact it had.

“Such a comeback isn’t at all common, of course, but the French seemed to tense, too emotional. I didn’t like their performance at Camp Nou.”

Zoff was then asked about the 4-2-3-1 shape which the Bianconeri have been using, featuring all of their strikers.

“I don’t see it as particularly attacking, despite the names. In the background this formation is also faithful to the tradition of Juventus, a team which never follows footballing fashion. That’s why they’ve won so much.

“Can the defence stop Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar? It’s an extraordinary trio, they’re undoubtedly two phenomenals… and a half.

“It will be difficult to limit them, but Juventus can do it, they’re presumed to have the best defence in the Champions League.”

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Juve: Mattiello in, Mandzukic out

http://www.football-italia.net/100789/juve-mattiello-mandzukic-out

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Mario Mandzukic remains absent from Juventus’ squad for Saturday’s Serie A clash with Chievo, but Federico Mattiello is a surprise inclusion.

Mandzukic is still suffering from an inflamed knee, so Juan Cuadrado, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala are Juve’s only attacking options for a second game running.

Mattiello, meanwhile, makes the cut against his former club, in just his fifth appearance in a Bianconeri matchday squad this season.

The young defender-midfielder spent 18 months on loan at Chievo between January 2015 and June 2016 but played just four times for the Flying Donkeys, having broken his leg twice.

Juventus squad for Chievo: Buffon, Neto, Audero; Chiellini, Benatia, Alex Sandro, Barzagli, Bonucci, Alves, Rugani, Lichtsteiner; Pjanic, Khedira, Marchisio, Mattiello, Lemina, Asamoah, Sturaro, Rincon, Mandragora; Cuadrado, Higuain, Dybala

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

Enrique: Juve should bench stars!

http://www.football-italia.net/100792/enrique-juve-should-bench-stars

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique jokes Juventus should bench their entire attack against the Catalans on Tuesday. “They’ll be rested for the run-in that way…”

Barca travel to Turin next week for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Juve, and Enrique made it clear he was wary of the threat posed by the Bianconeri’s quartet of Gonzalo Higuain, Mario Mandzukic, Juan Cuadrado and Paulo Dybala.

“I’d recommend Allegri to bench, in the game against us, Higuain, Mandzukic, Cuadrado and Dybala... they’ll be rested for the run-in that way,” the Coach said at a Press conference for the Blaugrana’s match against Malaga in La Liga.

“We must focus on the League. We know that we’re back in the Champions League, which attracts us a lot, but we also know the risks of not focusing on the League.

“We have to end the season with tranquillity and appreciate everything in perspective.

“We haven’t won anything yet, but we haven’t lost anything either. We’re in a good spell, now we need to confirm it.”

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Pellissier: 'Still going strong'

http://www.football-italia.net/100802/pellissier-still-going-strong

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Chievo legend Sergio Pellissier is in no hurry to hang up his boots and trusts he can make his mark on Juventus this evening.

It kicks off at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

The striker turns 38 next week and is under contract with the Flying Donkeys until June 2018.

“I never thought of just giving up when my contract expires. I want to continue competing as long as my fitness levels hold up. When I realise that I can’t do it anymore, I’ll say so honestly.

“I am taking it one year at a time and evaluating it from there,” he said in a Press conference.

Although he spent most of his career at Chievo, Pellissier started out at Torino and has some history against Juventus, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw in April 2009.

“There is always a different motivation in facing Juventus and more concentration throughout the squad. I’d like to score, but it’s not that simple. I can guarantee effort and hunger, as we want to make up for some recent poor performances.

“The hat-trick away to Juve seemed impossible. It’d be wonderful to repeat that, but Juve are one of the best teams in the world and it’s so tough to get any points at the Juventus Stadium.

“Mind you, I always did dream big, so I still hope that we can do it. I never stopped believing in myself and that’s why I am still here.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Juventus-Chievo Match Preview

http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/preview/88131

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Treble-chasing Juventus face mid-table Chievo, who have a surprisingly good record in Turin, and try to avoid distraction from Barcelona.

The Bianconeri have looked as solid and dependable as ever of late, relentlessly piling points on the board and negotiating all cup business safely whether they are at their best or slightly below par. Last Sunday's visit to the San Paolo in Naples was one such example of their efficiency. Backed up and under pressure for much of the match, La Vecchia Signora showed all their nous and durability to come away with a valuable 1-1 draw. That point put the Turin side six points clear of Roma at the top of Serie A with only eight rounds remaining. Having now collected 26 points from 30 in the League since defeat at Fiorentina on January 15, there are few observers that would predict a Juventus collapse in the run-in.

As for Chievo, on the surface things look fine for them as they sit comfortably in 11th place, well clear of relegation problems for yet another season. This is an admirable achievement for the Verona based outfit who operate on a very modest budget. However, of late their form has taken a turn for the worse. They have lost their last two outings against Bologna and Crotone with last weekend's home defeat to the Calabrian side a particularly bitter pill to swallow. Coach Rolando Maran will be keen to stop the rot sooner rather than later and avoid a largely positive campaign descending into free-fall.

The Old Lady approach Saturday's tie generally in good health with only Marko Pjaca (who is out for the season) and wonderkid Moise Kean unavailable. Looking ahead to the Champions League quarter final first leg with Barcelona on Tuesday, Allegri may use the full depth of his squad once more. Juventus will line up in the 4-2-3-1 formation which has served them so well over the last three months. Mario Mandzukic missed Wednesday’s Coppa Italia trip to Napoli and is again likely to be rested here, though options are rather limited elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the Gialloblu will again be without the injured quartet of Gennaro Sardo, Massimo Gobbi, Nicola Rigoni and Perparim Hetemaj, but mercifully they are at least suspension free. They are expected to line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation which will have to remain united and compact if they are to stand a chance of obtaining a positive result. Veteran centre-back pairing Dario Dainelli and Alessandro Gamberini have the unenviable task of containing Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuaín. Veteran striker Sergio Pellissier will be the visitors’ likeliest hope of snatching a goal.

All in all, Juve are expected to win comfortably. Can Chievo prove yet again that football is a funny old game and throw the Scudetto race wide open?

Keep an eye on: Paulo Dybala (Juventus) - The young Argentine continues to impress, yet always leaving the impression that he still has a few gears to go through. He can excel in tight positions, punish opponents when they leave space, set up teammates with ease and finish with aplomb. If the Bianconeri are to deliver the Treble, an in-form Dybala will be vital.

Form guide: Juventus (D W W D W) Chievo (L L W L W)

Last season: Juventus 1-1 Chievo

Stat fact: Somewhat surprisingly, Chievo have taken three draws from their last six Serie A visits to Juventus.

Top tip: Juventus to win both halves.

Juventus (probable): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Marchisio, Pjanic; Cuadrado, Dybala, Mandzukic; Higuain

Suspended: None

Chievo (probable): Seculin; Frey, Dainelli, Gamberini, Cacciatore; Castro, Radovanovic, De Guzman; Birsa; Pellissier, Inglese

Suspended: None

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Juventus v Chievo Verona Match Preview

http://www.juvefc.com/juventus-v-chievo-verona-match-preview-scouting/

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus v Chievo

Serie A Week 31 – Saturday, 8th April – 19:45 GMT – Juventus Stadium

Juventus

It was not pretty at times, but Juventus survived the two-game trip to Napoli. The first one was about survival and the squad succeeded thanks to an early, and rather anticlimactic goal by Sami Khedira and then worked its tail off defending. Napoli scored anyway but it was good enough: not having must-win games is the reason why you try to build a lead in the standings. The second one was about scoring and Gonzalo Higuain took care of that with a fabulous performance: I really enjoyed the swagger with which he faced the Coppa Italia bout, while he was quiet in the previous game. The Bianconeri lost anyway, but it was a platonic result.

One more stop before the crucial first leg against Barcelona: Chievo Verona on Saturday night. Juventus have a six-point gap over Roma: still cushy, but you want to avoid going into one-game territory. The Bianconeri have a rather easy schedule, but so do Giallorossi. Therefore, the real danger is mental, especially in this apparently easy encounter before ginormous appointments.

Mario Mandzukic is out as his knee is still acting up and the staff will be careful after he suffered another blow there on the first Napoli game as well. 4-2-3-1 will live on despite being down three viable left wingers, including Moise Kean, as Massimiliano Allegri has proven to be willing to go to great lengths to preserve his beloved new toy. Mario Lemina and Stefano Sturaro do not exactly work on the flanks: they have very little pace and their contribution is merely defensive. I would prefer the coach to at least stick with fullbacks up there: Dani Alves, Alex Sandro and Kwadwo Asamoah can glide past the defender and know what to do when they make their way down the flank. At this point, to be honest, I would pick Miralem Pjanic wide like sometimes happened with Paul Pogba in the past, rather than Lemina and Sturaro.

Leonardo Bonucci should get a game off, thus Daniele Rugani will get to start, alongside either Andrea Barzagli or Medhi Benatia in order to keep Giorgio Chiellini fresh. Allegri is micro-managing the rotation in the midfield: Tomas Rincon and Sami Khedira started on Wednesday, so Claudio Marchisio and Pjanic are poised to feature from the kick-off. Sandro and Asamoah should play together, one obviously in a more advanced position. Stephan Lichtsteiner is favourite to start over Dani Alves, whom they want at his best against his former team, but there is a chance both play if Juan Cuadrado is rested.

Paulo Dybala is now in the phase of his recovery where he needs to play to return to peak form. Allegri floated around the idea of benching Gonzalo Higuain and using La Joya as lone center-forward. That might work, but in this occasion the lineup around him would be really weird-looking. So El Pipita should be trotting out there on Saturday night.

Props to the coach for deflecting the questions about his future now that the focus really needs to be on something else. He stated that the will stay 100% because he has contract with the club for 2017/2018. That is certainly technically true, but top teams do not enter the season with the coach being a lame duck: extension talks will be forthcoming, but there will be a better place and time for those.

Probable lineup:

4-2-3-1: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Rugani, Asamoah; Marchisio, Pjanic; Cuadrado, Dybala, Sandro; Higuain.

Injuries:

Mandzukic (knee), Pjaca (knee).

Suspensions:

None.

Chievo

Chievo Verona are not in a great period, but they have comfortably reached their goal for this season, which was avoiding relegation, and therefore they are starting to pack it in a little bit. They have lost three out of their last four games, against Milan, Bologna and Crotone. Dropping points against lesser opponents and conceding multiple goals is rather out of character, but it is understandable. They came away with a point the last time they visited the stadium.

Rolando Maran, who could be set to join a bigger club in the summer, has recovered the regular starters Perparim Hetemaj and Massimo Gobbi, who missed some time with muscular injuries. They are in the squad list and likely to start, but still not a lock. Jonathan De Guzman and Nicholas Frey would be the replacement if they ultimately could not go.

Stefano Sorrentino has had a vintage season, but he is not a spring chicken and the coaching staff decided to give a chance to Andrea Seculin in the last game to see what they have in him. They could decide to stick with him in the final weeks. The other usual doubt involves the centre-back duo: they have rotated everybody. Alessandro Gamberini is out, so the battle is between the bruisers Nicolas Spolli and Bostjan Cesar.

The other absentees are Nicola Rigoni and Gennaro Sardo, but they do not play a lot. The main doubt is up front: Roberto Inglese has had some strong showings, Riccardo Meggiorini is probably their most constant striker despite not scoring a lot and Andrea Pellissier is a legend. But only two of them can start. They rely a lot on the offensive contribution of Lucas Castro and Valter Birsa, who have had terrific seasons.

There are obviously some perils in facing a team that has nothing to play for: they are carefree and willing to take more risks and use a more offensive approach. That has not exactly worked out for them over the last month but you never know. Of course in Serie A you can not take anything for granted.

Probable lineup:

4-3-1-2: Seculin; Cacciatore, Dainelli, Spolli, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Hetemaj; Birsa; Inglese, Pellissier.

Injuries:

Gamberini (hamstring), Rigoni, Sardo.

Suspensions:

None.

Formation

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Line-ups: Juventus-Chievo

http://www.football-italia.net/100833/line-ups-juventus-chievo

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus rest several defenders ahead of Barcelona, but start Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and Gonzalo Higuain against Chievo.

Inevitably, the Bianconeri are distracted by Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Barcelona, which will also be at the Juventus Stadium.

They are also fatigued after two encounters with Napoli over the last seven days, drawing 1-1 in Serie A and losing 3-2 in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, but still going through to the Final against Lazio.

Mario Mandzukic and Marko Pjaca are out injured, but Max Allegri rests Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Dani Alves and Miralem Pjanic.

It means Daniele Rugani gets a rare start, with Stefano Sturaro again filling in for Mandzukic on the left side of that supporting trident.

Dybala starts anyway, as he needs to regain match fitness after his muscular injury, but there’s no rest for Pipita Higuain or Sami Khedira.

Chievo are without Gennaro Sardo, Nicola Rigoni and Alessandro Gamberini are out for Chievo, who need to recover from two consecutive defeats.

Veteran Sergio Pellissier once bagged a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 Turin draw, but the Flying Donkeys have never won away to Juventus.

In fact, they’ve beaten the Bianconeri just once in 29 competitive meetings, losing 20 of them.

That lone success was 1-0 at the Bentegodi in Serie A on January 17, 2010.

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Khedira, Marchisio; Cuadrado, Dybala, Sturaro; Higuain

Juventus bench: Neto, Audero, Dani Alves, Chiellini, Bonucci, Benatia, Pjanic, Mattiello, Lemina, Asamoah, Rincon, Mandragora

Chievo: Seculin; Cacciatore, Spolli, Cesar, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Hetemaj; Birsa; Pellissier, Meggiorini

Chievo bench: Sorrentino, Confente, Frey, Dainelli, Izco, Kiyine, Depaoli, De Guzman, Gakpe, Inglese

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Rugani: 'Juve ignore Barcelona'

http://www.football-italia.net/100835/rugani-juve-ignore-barcelona

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Daniele Rugani assures Juventus are not distracted by Barcelona as they host Chievo this evening. “It can be decisive.”

Several players are rested ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona, including Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Miralem Pjanic.

“Our minds are absolutely on tonight’s game,” Rugani told Mediaset Premium.

“We want to win and must focus only on this match, because it can be decisive for the Scudetto.

“It’s fixtures like this that prove we are a great team. We absolutely have to win and that is all that counts.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Marotta: 'Allegri staying at Juve'

http://www.football-italia.net/100836/marotta-allegri-staying-juve

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus director Beppe Marotta commented on Corentin Tolisso, the Champions League and why Max Allegri is staying in Turin.

“It would be a grave error to think about Barcelona this evening, because our objective is also to win the Scudetto and that is no less an important target than the Champions League,” Marotta told Mediaset Premium.

Tonight Juan Cuadrado, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain start in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

“Cuadrado has some rather unique characteristics within the squad and when he is absent we can use different systems. In that double encounter with Napoli, we had two different shapes, as in the Coppa Italia it was more of a technically-gifted side. We brought home the result.”

As always, the director general was asked about Allegri’s contract, amid reports there will be an extension to June 2020.

“Allegri has a contract until 2018, so it’s not really an issue right now. He has said both privately and publicly that he intends to stay and so I don’t see any reason to even talk about this.

“Allegri started an era with us and it’s not finished yet.”

This week Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Tolisso declared he couldn’t turn down a side like Juventus.

“Tolisso is a great player, but that is all I will say on the matter. We need to make tactical evaluations.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

HT 1-0: Dybala inspires Juventus

h ttp://www.football-italia.net/100839/ht-dybala-inspires-juventus

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Paulo Dybala is on spectacular form and created the goal for Gonzalo Higuain that put Juventus 1-0 up at the break against Chievo.

The Bianconeri rested Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Miralem Pjanic, while Mario Mandzukic and Marko Pjaca were injured ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona. The Flying Donkeys missed Gennaro Sardo, Nicola Rigoni and Alessandro Gamberini, but were coming off two consecutive defeats.

Chievo had beaten Juventus only once in 29 competitive meetings, a 1-0 home result in January 2010, along with 20 defeats and eight draws.

Gigi Buffon made history with his 616^th Serie A appearance, second only to Paolo Maldini’s 647. It was Rolando Maran’s 100^th game on the Chievo bench.

Sami Khedira’s snapshot tested Andrea Seculin and Riccardo Meggiorini failed to make the most of an Alex Sandro error. Paulo Dybala’s powerful strike was fingertipped out from under the bar by Seculin after a misplaced pass on the edge of the box.

Dybala seemed fired up and created the opening goal, as he skipped past Ivan Radovanovic down the right and pulled back for Gonzalo Higuain to swing the right boot from 11 yards.

Khedira couldn’t quite steer the Juan Cuadrado cross on target, but Dybala was truly inspired, as he managed to nutmeg Bostjan Cesar for a through ball to Cuadrado, the shot charged down.

Juventus 1-0 Chievo (Half-Time)

Higuain 23 (J)

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Khedira, Marchisio; Cuadrado, Dybala, Sturaro; Higuain

Juventus bench: Neto, Audero, Dani Alves, Chiellini, Bonucci, Benatia, Pjanic, Mattiello, Lemina, Asamoah, Rincon, Mandragora

Chievo: Seculin; Cacciatore, Spolli, Cesar, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Hetemaj; Birsa; Pellissier, Meggiorini

Ref: Fabbri

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Juventus 2 Chievo 0: Higuain

ends drought in nervy win

Juventus scraped to victory against Chievo on Saturday as

Gonzalo Higuain's timely return to form saw him grab both goals.

<a href="http://oi65.tinypic.com/294p0yq.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-chievo/2306052/report?ICID=MP_MS_5

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Gonzalo Higuain brought an uncharacteristic Serie A goal drought to an end as he fired Juventus to victory with both strikes in a 2-0 win against Chievo in Turin.

Higuain had gone five league games without scoring before breaking through in the opening period of a triumph that sends Juve nine points clear of second-placed Roma, who take on Bolgona on Sunday, at the summit.

Although Higuain had gone over a month without scoring prior to the Coppa Italia clash with former club Napoli in midweek, the 29-year-old now has four goals in his last two outings and is hitting form again in time to take on Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

However, his two strikes - the second an 84th-minute finish that took his Serie A tally this season to 21 - were rare bright spots in an underwhelming Juve performance as nerves set in for a side that had drawn two of their last four top-flight matches prior to kick-off.

The champions toiled after cruising into the lead and Chievo threatened to pinch a leveller on a couple of occasions before Higuain struck late on.

Juve have now won 32 consecutive home league matches and a sixth successive Scudetto is moving ever closer to their reach.

Higuain started for Massimiliano Allegri's men despite talk he would be rested ahead of the meeting with Barca, with key changes instead coming in defence as Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci dropped out of the side that had drew 1-1 with Napoli in their last league game.

The fluency of Juve's all-star attack soon showed as Sami Khedira forced a low stop from Andrea Seculin with his firm strike, before the goalkeeper turned Paulo Dybala's rising shot over the crossbar and gathered a second effort from the same player.

In the 23rd minute, Higuain was devastating when presented with his first sight of goal, calmly placing a finish into the bottom-left corner from Dybala's pinpoint pass.

However, the hosts' momentum slowed after the goal, with Chievo mustering the game's next chance at the start of the second half as Gianluigi Buffon parried Sergio Pellissier's drive.

A tame Riccardo Meggiorini header again worked Buffon, but, keen not to risk their phenomenal home run, Juve heeded these warnings and kicked on once more.

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Higuain almost doubled his tally as he spun to flash a shot just wide of the right-hand post from the edge of the area, before the Argentina international then drew a save from Seculin with a teasing effort.

Chievo continued to threaten, though, and Roberto Inglese nodded wide when well placed from Valter Birsa's cross, with Dybala then squandering an opportunity to seal victory as he dragged wide at the other end.

Higuain had been Juve's star man, as so often this season, but he failed to hit the target with a great chance, somehow slicing off target after a neat turn inside the box.

However, Higuain finally put the game to bed as he steadied himself to blast beyond the committed Seculin after fine work in the build-up from Dybala and Stephan Lichtsteiner, meaning Juve take on Barca on the back of a win.

Key Opta stats:

- Paulo Dybala provided an assist for three the last four Gonzalo Higuain's goals in Serie A.

- Higuain has scored his sixth brace for Juventus in Serie A: this is the 25th time he scored 2+ goals in the same Serie A game.

- Juventus have won their last 32 Serie A home games and has scored at least one goal in their last 22 Serie A matches.

- Higuain is the first Juventus player to score at least 20 goals in his first Serie A season since Charles and Sivori (1957-58).

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Dybala inspires, Higuain scores

Gonzalo Higuain bagged a brace for the 32^nd consecutive Serie A home win,

but it was Paulo Dybala who inspired Juventus to beat Chievo 2-0.

<a href="http://oi68.tinypic.com/1233b5x.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/88131

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

The Bianconeri rested Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Miralem Pjanic, while Mario Mandzukic and Marko Pjaca were injured ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona. The Flying Donkeys missed Gennaro Sardo, Nicola Rigoni and Alessandro Gamberini, but were coming off two consecutive defeats.

Chievo have beaten Juventus only once in 30 competitive meetings, a 1-0 home result in January 2010, along with 21 defeats and eight draws.

Gigi Buffon made history with his 616^th Serie A appearance, second only to Paolo Maldini’s 647. It was Rolando Maran’s 100^th game on the Chievo bench.

Sami Khedira’s snapshot tested Andrea Seculin and Riccardo Meggiorini failed to make the most of an Alex Sandro error. Paulo Dybala’s powerful strike was fingertipped out from under the bar by Seculin after a misplaced pass on the edge of the box.

Dybala seemed fired up and created the opening goal, as he skipped past Ivan Radovanovic down the right and pulled back for Gonzalo Higuain to swing the right boot from 11 yards.

Khedira couldn’t quite steer the Juan Cuadrado cross on target, but Dybala was truly inspired, as he managed to nutmeg Bostjan Cesar for a through ball to Cuadrado, the shot charged down.

After the restart Gigi Buffon had to make his first real save, getting down at the near post to beat away a Sergio Pellissier chest and strike and took the sting out of Riccardo Meggiorini’s header.

Higuain controlled a ball with his back to goal, spun round and volleyed inches wide from the edge of the box, but Chievo nearly equalised on 72 minutes when Roberto Inglese nodded a Valter Birsa cross just over the bar.

Dybala completed a give-and-go with Khedira only to drill wide, but La Joya set up Higuain for a chance the striker incredibly fired off target from 12 yards when relatively undisturbed.

Chievo had a couple more chances on crosses into the box and Buffon took the sting out of a Valter Birsa strike from the edge of the area.

Just as the Bianconeri seemed to be resting on their laurels, Higuain added a second to secure the points. Dybala dribbled into the box, spread the play for Stephan Lichtsteiner with a no-look pass off the outside of the boot and the low cross found Pipita to tap in.

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner (Dani Alves 85), Barzagli, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Khedira, Marchisio; Cuadrado (Lemina 65), Dybala, Sturaro (Bonucci 72); Higuain

Chievo: Seculin; Cacciatore, Spolli, Cesar, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Hetemaj (De Guzman 74); Birsa; Pellissier, Meggiorini (Inglese 66)

Ref: Fabbri

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Higuain: 'Barcelona respect us'

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http://www.football-italia.net/100842/higuain-barcelona-respect-us

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Gonzalo Higuain said Juventus have no fear of Barcelona in the Champions League. “We respect them just as they respect us.”

Pipita scored both goals, which were created for him by Paulo Dybala at the Juventus Stadium for the 2-0 victory over Chievo.

“It was a difficult game and we knew it was going to be, as Chievo are tough, but we won and that’s what we wanted,” Higuain told Mediaset Premium.

This evening Barcelona lost 2-0 to Malaga with Neymar sent off for losing his head and lunging into a dangerous tackle, not the best way to prepare for Tuesday's quarter-final in Turin.

“Now we can focus on Barcelona and rest so we can reach that game in top condition. We must be calm, as it’s a very hard match against a great team, but we respect them just as they respect us.”

Higuain also scored against Napoli on his return to the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday, a 3-2 defeat that still saw Juve through to the Coppa Italia Final.

“It was a special return for me and I am happy for the Juve fans, as they are behind me and leave me in peace. I am happy here.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Maran: 'Chievo troubled Juventus'

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http://www.football-italia.net/100843/maran-chievo-troubled-juventus

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Rolando Maran insists Chievo “didn’t just come here to contain” Juventus and made life difficult for the Serie A Champions.

Gonzalo Higuain bagged a brace, both set up for him by Paulo Dybala, for the 2-0 Bianconeri victory.

“We can’t be happy with a defeat, obviously, but in the second half we spent a lot of time in the Juve half and didn’t just come here to contain them,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

“We were in the game until the last five minutes and that is something that should give us some more confidence.”

Chievo have lost four of their last five matches, including three on the bounce.

“It is our duty to push to the end and try to finish as high up the table as possible, so the fact we are in mid-table safety should be irrelevant.

“Juventus were just too strong for us this evening. I wanted us to show more intensity and sharpness, but unfortunately I was forced into two substitutions by injuries, so that limited my options.”

Maran made his 100^th appearance on the Chievo bench and clarified question marks over his future.

“I was asked if I’d like to challenge for other targets and obvious as a Coach you always want to aim higher and be more ambitious. Having said that, it doesn’t mean I am necessarily looking to change club.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Allegri: 'Defending is beautiful too'

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http://www.football-italia.net/100844/allegri-defending-beautiful-too

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Max Allegri warns Juventus not to be swayed by tonight’s Barcelona defeat in La Liga and noted “defending is just as beautiful as a great attacking move.”

Gonzalo Higuain scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Chievo, but Paulo Dybala put in an inspirational performance, proving he has fully recovered from those muscular problems.

Now they prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona, as the first leg is in Turin.

“We have to feel ready, as this is a quarter-final and with all due respect for Barcelona, we have to play believing we can go through. We’ll need to be at our best both when attacking and defending,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

This evening the Blaugrana lost 2-0 to Malaga with Neymar sent off, but Allegri isn’t taking anything for granted.

“Tonight’s result is irrelevant, because Barcelona are accustomed to playing this sort of fixture. We were coming off a couple of tough games and it was only natural we’d be a little tired this evening, so in my view this was one of our toughest games of the season, as we had used up so much energy with Napoli.

“We are in good shape. Higuain did good work on his fitness levels while on international duty. We have to face the next few weeks with enthusiasm and the desire to go all the way. There’s no point sitting here thinking we’re playing against Barcelona – we have to play and that is all.

“From tomorrow we think about Barcelona, but only because it’s the next game. The next game is always the most important.

“When you have Leo Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta, not to mention the others, it’s rare you get an off night. We have to be on point, ready to attack at the right time and defend when it’s necessary.”

Mario Mandzukic was out of tonight’s game with Chievo, so will he be ready to start against Barcelona?

“He had two training sessions over the last couple of days, I’ll see tomorrow if he’s in good enough condition to play. It was important tonight that I was able to rotate the squad and ensure we have some fresh legs on Tuesday, while still getting results. That is fundamental.”

Allegri was asked about the common trope that Juventus get results, but do not play beautiful football.

“Football is very simple, you have attacking and defending. You need both and there’s no shame in being good at defending, in fact it’s just as beautiful as a great attacking move.

“I am happy for those who have spectacular football, but if I want a spectacle then I’ll go to the circus. I want three points. I have talented players, but that’s not enough, as some games are rough, others are more physical, there are some matches within a match.

“I am not annoyed by these comments, if anything they make me smile. There are some games where you have 35 per cent possession and create seven or eight scoring opportunities. Some games you have 70 per cent possession and have three shots on target. So which is better?

“These are all numbers and statistics that have meaning to a certain degree.”

Barcelona Coach Luis Enrique joked that he’d advise Allegri to rest four key players on Tuesday to best focus on Serie A football. Would the Juve boss like to return the favour?

“Well he can rest Messi, Neymar, Iniesta and Suarez. I really like Luis Enrique, he’s a lovely guy and I’ll be glad to see him on Tuesday.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Higuain heads for Juve record

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http://www.football-italia.net/100845/higuain-heads-juve-record

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Gonzalo Higuain became the first player to get over 20 Serie A goals in his debut Juventus season for 59 years.

Pipita bagged a brace in this evening’s 2-0 victory over Chievo and now has 21 Serie A goals in 31 appearances for the Bianconeri.

The last strikers to net more than 20 in their opening Juve campaigns were John Charles on 28 goals and Omar Sivori 22 in 1957-58.

So far Higuain has scored 27 goals in 42 competitive matches for Juve since his €90m transfer from Napoli.

The Argentina has found the net 90 times in 135 Serie A games and last season at Napoli set a new all-time record with 36 in a single campaign.

The 29-year-old has amassed 57 goals in his last 66 top flight appearances.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Juventus 2 - Chievo 0: Initial reaction

and random observations

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http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/8/15231232/juventus-chievo

-verona-2017-serie-a-round-31-final-score-result-initial-reaction

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

For the past five Serie A games we watched Gonzalo Higuain step onto different fields and finish the game with the same amount of goals on the season that he started with. For some strikers that’s probably just a relatively ordinary stretch. But for Higuain, the bar is set so much higher because of what he’s done the last few seasons.

Well, Serie A scoreless streak over.

And now, as Max Allegri requested from his players, they can now think about Barcelona.

Juventus FC v AC ChievoVerona - Serie A — The more they hug after goals, the more feelings I get. I can also get completely used to that.

Along with his baby-faced countryman by the name of Paulo Dybala, Higuain led the offensive charge on Saturday night, scoring his second brace in the matter of four days — the other came in Wednesday night’s Coppa Italia game against Napoli, of course — as Juventus beat Chievo 2-0 to go into their titanic matchup with Barcelona with some wind in their sails. It wasn’t a drab, energy-conserving performance that we saw from Juventus last weekend. Instead, Juve actually played quite well, the kind of showing that you want to see from your team going into such a massive

Leave it to Higuain and Dybala to steal the show, too.

We entered the game wondering if Higuain would be rested and Dybala would be pushed up into a central forward role to take the place of Juve’s No. 9. Instead, the only real lineup selection that took some folks by surprise was the fact that Stefano Sturaro was playing as a left winger. (It’s happening!!!) Other than that, it was either the squad rotation that we expected or the non-squad rotation that many people anticipated.

That meant that Dybala played. That meant that Higuain played. And based on how things went, that was a pretty good decision by Mr. Allegri. You gotta give it to him in that respect.

Dybala created so many opportunities on Saturday night. Juventus might have won 2-0, but it could have truly been a complete blowout if some of Juve’s best chances were put away. Higuain could have had more than just a brace. Juan Cuadrado had a big-time scoring chance that wasn’t put away. There were a few others mixed in there, too.

Yet even with the missed chances, I can safely say that I liked the way Juventus played against Chievo. It was the kind of performance that makes you feel good about how they’re going into a matchup like what is going down at Juventus Stadium on Tuesday night. You get the confidence going and who knows what can happen next.

That’s especially true when you think about Higuain having scored four goals in his last two appearances and Dybala being so incredibly involved in both goals against Chievo.

The two strikers who are two of the brightest stars Juventus currently has were certainly seeing things in HD on Saturday night. And yes, I hope you see what I did there. That was my intention the entire time, people.

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

Gonzalo Higuain: 27 goals, 37 games in all competitions. That is all.
Paulo Dybala put in the kind of performance that could easily have him be Man of the Match — and he didn’t even score a goal. He was that good against Chievo.
Seriously, props to Chievo for not doing what a lot of mid-table teams do when they come to Juventus Stadium. Sure they dropped numbers back behind the ball some of the time, but it’s not like they parked the bus and showed no intention to attack at all.
Counterpoint: It’s usually a good sign for Juventus when Gigi Buffon isn’t making his first save of the game until after halftime. Good things usually come out of that.
I love the combination of Daniele Rugani and Andrea Barzagli in the center of defense. Not because they’re two of the calmest customers that you will probably ever see wear a Juventus jersey, but also because they damn good, too. That was the kind of Barzagli game that we’ve gotten so used to over the years. And when it came to Rugani, just steady as she goes. Neither of them put a foot wrong against Chievo, and it was quite nice to see knowing they hadn’t played many minutes alongside one another this season.
Sergio Pellissier, all 37 years old of him, didn’t score against Juventus. I feel like this is an accomplishment in and of itself.
Max, I’m happy I can now think about Barcelona. We certainly know that Juve’s social media properties are already getting things going. By my math that was 45 minutes after the final whistle sounded. I hope that was enough time that passed to get Max’s approval.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Gonzalo Higuain brace keeps

Juventus on track for title

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/report?gameId=460990

Apr 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Gonzalo Higuain was the hero again as Juventus took another step towards the Serie A title with a 2-0 victory over Chievo.

Higuain took his tally for the season to 27 with a goal in each half at the Juventus Stadium.

The Argentina striker's double -- his seventh of the season -- secured a 32nd consecutive home league win for Juve and moved them nine points clear of Roma ahead of their trip to Bologna on Sunday.

Sami Khedira and Paulo Dybala were denied by Chievo goalkeeper Andrea Seculin before Juventus took a 23rd-minute lead.

Dybala was the orchestrator with a brilliant break to the by-line, and his cut-back found the waiting Higuain who swept home from 12 yards.

Juventus probed for a second with Juan Cuadrado seeing his shot blocked and Higuain firing wide on the edge of the penalty area.

Chievo were encouraged by those misses and Riccardo Meggiorini and substitute Roberto Inglese both headed over.

Higuain wasted an even clearer chance from eight yards out that he would normally take. But he punished Chievo again six minutes from time after Dybala had slipped in Stephan Lichtsteiner to cross from the right.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Allegri: Defending just as beautiful

as great attacking move

Manager’s post-match comments after Juve win over Chievo

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http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/9/15232332/allegri-defending-

just-as-beautiful-as-great-attacking-move-juventus-chievo-recap

Apr 9, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

In a triumphant return to the J Stadium, Juventus put away a defiant Chievo side 2-0 today to move nine points clear at the top of the Serie A table. A brace from Gonzalo Higuain extended the Bianconeri lead over Roma who play tomorrow.

After the game, manager Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the media and the first topic was all about Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Barcelona.

“We have to feel ready, as this is a quarter-final and with all due respect for Barcelona, we have to play believing we can go through. We’ll need to be at our best both when attacking and defending.”

Barca slipped to a defeat against Malaga today with Neymar seeing red, but the manager is not reading anything into it.

“Tonight’s result is irrelevant, because Barcelona are accustomed to playing this sort of fixture. We were coming off a couple of tough games and it was only natural we’d be a little tired this evening, so in my view this was one of our toughest games of the season, as we had used up so much energy with Napoli.

“We are in good shape. Higuain did good work on his fitness levels while on international duty. We have to face the next few weeks with enthusiasm and the desire to go all the way. There’s no point sitting here thinking we’re playing against Barcelona – we have to play and that is all.

“From tomorrow we think about Barcelona, but only because it’s the next game. The next game is always the most important.

“When you have Leo Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta, not to mention the others, it’s rare you get an off night. We have to be on point, ready to attack at the right time and defend when it’s necessary.”

Is Mario Madzukic being saved for the Tuesday game?

“He had two training sessions over the last couple of days, I’ll see tomorrow if he’s in good enough condition to play. It was important tonight that I was able to rotate the squad and ensure we have some fresh legs on Tuesday, while still getting results. That is fundamental.”

The manager was also questioned about Juve’s defensive style, and it not being ‘beautiful’.

“Football is very simple, you have attacking and defending. You need both and there’s no shame in being good at defending, in fact it’s just as beautiful as a great attacking move.

“I am happy for those who have spectacular football, but if I want a spectacle then I’ll go to the circus. I want three points. I have talented players, but that’s not enough, as some games are rough, others are more physical, there are some matches within a match.

“I am not annoyed by these comments, if anything they make me smile. There are some games where you have 35 per cent possession and create seven or eight scoring opportunities. Some games you have 70 per cent possession and have three shots on target. So which is better?

“These are all numbers and statistics that have meaning to a certain degree.”

The Catalan club’s manager Luis Enrique had joked that he’d want Allegri to rest four players on Tuesday - who would the Juve manager ask for his part to not play against the Bianconeri?

“Well he can rest Messi, Neymar, Iniesta and Suarez. I really like Luis Enrique, he’s a lovely guy and I’ll be glad to see him on Tuesday.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Gonzalo Higuain-Paulo Dybala partnership

enough for Juve vs. Chievo

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3099795/gonzalo-higuain

-paulo-dybala-partnership-enough-for-juventus-against-chievo-verona

Apr 9, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus collected their 32nd consecutive home victory by defeating Chievo Verona 2-0, and while they expended a lot of energy to ensure a positive result, they also demonstrated confidence and fluidity.

On a night when Barcelona lost to Malaga, Juventus tried to push thoughts of the upcoming Champions League clash aside to focus on their present challenge. Demonstrating great movement, quick thinking and ingenuity on the ball, the Bianconeri created an abundance of goal-scoring opportunities against a side that played a solid game.

Chievo were physical and, at times, excellent in defence, but they simply did not boast enough to stop the technical brilliance of Juve's attacking forwards. While they created a few nervy moments at the back, forcing the Old Lady to play with concentration until the end, they are still the team that has yet to manage a win away to Juve in the top division.

Positives

A player considered not in the best of conditions, Paulo Dybala put forth a stunning game of football. Playing with a raised head, he read every situation well, sought out his teammates and provided perfect passes to create goal scoring opportunities. Roaming across the pitch with intelligence and fluidity, his partnership with Gonzalo Higuain has continued to blossom, resulting in synchronised movements and a telepathic understanding.

Negatives

Defensively, Juventus are still experiencing a few nervy moments. The change to a 3-5-2 formation created confusion at the back, while the players dropped their concentration in crucial moments, resulting in needless fouls. Juventus must always remain focused and alert, as a more effective attacking side will manage goals against them.

Manager rating out of 10

7 -- Massimiliano Allegri ensured the team played with character and intensity to achieve a positive result. The change to a 3-5-2 formation created problems for the side, but it is better to deal with the arising problems now should Juve choose to play such a shape in Europe. However, the overall determination of the side suggests mental fortitude which should stand them in good stead going forward.

Gonzalo Higuain, left, celebrates with Sami Khedira after his second goal gave Juventus its final 2-0 margin against Chievo Verona. — Gonzalo Higuain, left, celebrates with Sami Khedira after his second goal gave Juventus its final 2-1 margin against Chievo.

Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Gianluigi Buffon, 6 -- Stopped Sergio Pellissier, remained concentrated throughout and provided authority at the back.

DF Stephan Lichtsteiner, 7 -- An excellent night for the defender, who initiated and helped develop so many of Juve's attacking moves even if he lacked accuracy. Read the game well, overlapped perfectly and exploited all the space available to him, working well with his teammates. He assisted Higuain's second goal of the night.

DF Andrea Barzagli, 6 -- Forced into uncomfortable situations, leading to fouls, but he always reads the moves well to ensure he is a good position to provide solid defending.

DF Daniele Rugani, 6 -- Calm and collected, but not as proactive as he is required to be in certain situations. A clean performance.

DF Alex Sandro, 6 -- Helped create chances, but considering how much room he was offered, we expected more from the player whose forward thrusts usually dazzle.

MF Sami Khedira, 6 -- Adapts his play depending on the circumstances, demonstrating his great intelligence and ability to provide balance. Made timely runs forward and nearly scored a goal even if he wasn't as energetic as usual.

MF Claudio Marchisio, 7 -- Neat, elegant and remarkably technical on the ball, Marchisio exploits space effectively and directed play well.

MF Juan Cuadrado, 7 -- One of his better performances even if he takes too long to make a decision on the ball. Contributed energetically to the defence and overcame his opponents effectively.

MF Paulo Dybala, 8 -- The best player on the pitch. He not only read the game perfectly, delivering accurate passes and creating excellent chances, but he recovered possession consistently. Should have scored a goal but it went just wide.

MF Stefano Sturaro, 6 -- Defending from the top, Sturaro got into good spaces but is still a little clumsy on the ball. He's the sort of player who will improve if offered continuity.

FW Gonzalo Higuain, 7 -- Back to being a lethal force in front of goal even if he did squander a great opportunity. Technically excellent on the ball, he scored twice, roamed across the pitch perfectly to ensure fluidity and was even found pressing to win back possession in the final minutes of the game. Determined.

Substitutes

MF Mario Lemina, 6 -- Athletic and strong but didn't make much of an impact.

DF Leonardo Bonucci, N/A -- His arrival meant a change to the 3-5-2 formation and Juve struggled thereafter. Chaotic and disorganised, pressure was on the defence, and Bonucci struggled to lead from the back.

DF Dani Alves, N/A -- Not on long enough to make an impact.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Juventus vs. Chievo 2017: Final score 2-0, Juve

battle past pesky Chievo thanks to Higuaín brace

Higuaín scored twice to help Juventus avoid a slipup against a valiant Chievo

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http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/9/15232188/juventus-

chievo-verona-2017-serie-a-round-30-final-score-recap-result

Apr 9, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus welcomed Chievo Verona to Juventus Stadium for the 31st round of the Serie A. All eyes were, of course, on the looming, titanic battle against Barcelona on Tuesday in the Champions League, but that doesn’t mean that the team could ignore its domestic responsibilities. Nevertheless, rotation was both very necessary (after the crunching game against Napoli a few days ago) and expected as the big guns rested in preparation for Tuesday’s game. But ... there wasn’t much rotation to be found, alas.

Ooh, well.

Thanks to a Gonzalo Higuain brace and a glorious display by Paolo Dybala, Juventus secured a 2-0 victory against Chievo. The visitors gave Juventus a real scare in the second half, but the Bianconeri managed to get the goods and secure the three points at the end of the evening to (temporarily?) extend the lead at the top of the table to nine points.

Juventus started the game as they always do — patient buildup play and composure in possession. The possession play wasn’t quite as fluid and effortless as usual, but there was no real rush as Chievo didn’t pose much of a threat on the counterattack. The first real sight at goal came from our German maestro Sami Khedira, who picked up a bouncing pass from Higuaín on the edge of the box and smashed a shot at goal on the half-volley. The goalkeeper was up to the task though and made a smart, low save from the stinging shot. Another chance came quickly afterwards from Paulo Dybala who picked up the loose ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a powerful drive which goalkeeper Secullin had to palm over the bar for the corner kick.

Dybala, really enjoying himself on the night, was in the thick of the action again just two minutes later. After exchanging passes with Stephan Lichtsteiner, the Argentine found himself on the right corner, face-to-face with the defender, with seemingly nowhere left to go. La Joya made a glorious shimmy with his hips to fool the defender into going the other way and just glided past him on the open side to square the ball for Higuaín inside the box. The striker was left with the simple task of side-footing the ball into the opposite corner to open the scoring: 1-0! A beautifully simple goal created by Dybala’s fantastic, deft use of the hips and quick acceleration!

The Bianconeri comfortably passed the ball around the park with ease and without expending too much effort. There was clear match control throughout the first half even though it wasn’t particularly glamorous stuff to watch. Chievo did get a few half-chances and look-ins at goal, but nothing that was ever enough to call Buffon into action. The last chance of the half came from Khedira in the 42nd minute, but his glanced header from Juan Cuadrado’s cross was comfortably wide of the target.

Chievo started the second period with real fire as ~~the always~~-~~pleasant Juventus lucky charm~~ Sergio Pellissier forced Buffon into a decent save thanks to a powerful effort on target after the Juve defense were lazy in clearing a cross into the box. Meggiorini then glanced a header at Gigi Buffon to remind the home side that there still was a lot of work to be done before they could think of the showdown on Tuesday. Juventus woke up again and Higuaín almost scored his second of the evening with an absolutely scorching drive that fizzed wide of the target after chesting down a long ball and holding off Spolli’s challenge.

Still, though, Chievo valiantly fought on in the second half as they pressed Juventus into a few haphazard mistakes that almost resulted in clear-cut chances. Roberto Inglese went close to the equalizer with a glancing header that went narrowly wide of the post, clearly irritating Buffon as the legend watched his side grow worryingly complacent in what should be an easy home game. Dybala responded almost instantly with a rasping shot at goal but the effort fizzed inches wide of the post.

The biggest chance, and miss, of the second half came, quite remarkably, courtesy of Higuaín. Dybala drifted inside from the wing and drove an inch-perfect pass into his partner’s feet. His first touch set him up immaculately for a completely free chance just a few meters in front of goal but, with the goal at his mercy, the striker somehow managed to sidefoot his shot wide of goal! A most uncharacteristic miss from the mercurial Argentine dangerman. Valter Birsa then unleashed a decent effort at goal for Buffon to save, once again reminding us that the game was far from over as long as there was only one goal to separate the sides. Finally though, Juventus decided to put the game to an end through Higuaín: the extraordinary Dybala once again skipped past a host of Chievo challenges on his way into the box and~~, upon realizing that he doesn’t have a right foot,~~ slipped a lovely ball into Lichtsteiner to the right. The Swiss full-back played a strong pass to Higuaín, completely free in the box, who took an exquisite touch to both kill the pass, open up the free goal, and finally fire a smooth shot into the far corner: 2-0! Juventus finally managed to kill the game after laboring through a testing second half.

Khedira almost made it three after a wonderful, flowing passing move involving Dybala and Higuaín, but goalkeeper Secullin made the save to keep the scoreline respectable. It finished 2-0 then for the Bianconeri at the end of the evening: all eyes on Tuesday then!

Le Pagelle

BUFFON 6.5 – Only one memorable save today from a testing Pellissier effort on goal.

SANDRO 7 – Solid as always and enjoyed the space on the wings due to Chievo’s narrow midfield formation.

RUGANI 6.5 – A little bit shaky in the second half and I remember Buffon giving him a bit of a telling off at a point to remind him to stay focused.

BARZAGLI 6.5 – Strong performance by Barzagli. Didn’t do much wrong and kept things solid with Rugani.

LICHTSTEINER 7 – His assist was actually a very difficult ball for Higuain to control. It looked fine because the Argentine is so darn good that he controlled it expertly, so that covered up Lichtsteiner’s pass.

MARCHISIO 7.5 – Didn’t put a foot wrong all game. Nice to see him still play confidently despite his relative lack of minutes since his recovery.

KHEDIRA 7.5 – Very guttttttt. He has been so consistent the last few months and provides such security and stability in midfield.

STURARO 6 – A far-cry from the midweek performance against Napoli, when he was actually very good. He was poor today although he battled hard defensively.

DYBALA 9 – Glorious, cerebral display by the elegant striker. He was at his fantastic best this evening as he glided past challenges, slipped in disguised passes, and was actively involved in everything good.

CUADRADO 7.5 – Another player that has been pleasantly consistent of late. His crosses were on point, dribbles incisive, and passing good. Well done, Juan.

HIGUAÍN 8 – A fantastic brace today for Higuaín. The second goal was especially good because Lichtsteiner’s pass was actually unpleasantly hard and bouncing a bit, but Pipita’s first touch killed it wonderfully. That miss, though, was, um, no good.

Subs

LEMINA 6.5 – I’ve started to notice that he’s actually a surprisingly good dribbler and provides an interesting option when played out wide.

BONUCCI 5 – Um, Leo, were you even prepared for the substitution today? Looked completely out of sync. I’ll excuse it because it was a 20min cameo against Chievo… ma che cosa, Leo?

DANI ALVES N/A – Replaced the exhausted Lichtsteiner late on.

Manager

ALLEGRI 7 – Business as usual. He’ll be a bit annoyed/worried about the complacency in the second half and how long it took to kill the game, but overall the performance was solid (if unspectacular). The Lemina-on-the-wing option is, again, an interesting one actually…

Tactical Analysis – Variation and Corner Kicks

Unlike in the first encounter between the sides back in November, Chievo set out in a narrow 4-3-1-2 diamond formation this time around that was pretty standard/unspectacular except for a few interesting quirks. Let’s start with the “normal” stuff though.

In red: strikers. In blue: central midfielders (Castro on the far side is right next to the right back Cacciatore). In black: the defenders. Birsa, the trequartista, plays very high up the pitch close to the strikers.

A standard 4-3-1-2 shape with the trequartista playing very close to the strikers and the central midfielders generally staying quite narrow although Castro is a bit out of position (circled blue). That leaves a gap on that side of the pitch that the Bianconeri can capitalize on. There were times that Chievo wasn’t so disciplined defensively and left some gaps between the lines:

As we know, 4-3-1-2 formations are notoriously narrow. In this picture, Hetemaj, the LCM, is all the way centrally and loosely tracking Marchisio. This obviously leaves a dramatic chasm on Chievo’s left wing, just begging for Juventus to switch the play to that side of the pitch.

Hetemaj caught my eye (that rhyme is so absurd, it made me chuckle while writing it) a few times during the game with his curious positioning. He played very deep and, interestingly, often on the same line as the midfield anchor Ivan Radovanovic. This often made Chievo look like a creative 4-2-2-2 setup.

Hetemaj (circled) here is on the same line as the anchor Radovanovic (on the ball). The arrow indicates where I think he should be positioned instead of where he is now.

The story becomes even more confusing when looking at the average position chart on Whoscored.com, which suggests that perhaps I’m insane and Chievo was actually playing a 3-man backline?

Blue dots= Chievo. Now I’m just completely confused... Can you guys figure this out?

As a final point, the commentators made a good point about how Juventus varied its corner kick routines intelligently throughout the game. Sometimes the team went for the long cross, sometimes for the short corner, and sometimes a hybrid style where it goes short before eventually being crossed into the box. I like this a lot because, contrary to popular belief, corner kicks are probably the most shockingly inefficient aspect of football. People always get angry about short corners, but I think I read somewhere once that only 10-20 percent of corner kicks are actually converted in football. What happens to the other 80-90 percent that aren’t converted? Most likely they end up in a nerve-wracking counterattack that has us our blood pressures skyrocketing. So to hell with corner kicks, I say!

Shaky, but business as usual after all

Aside from that unpleasant wobble in the second half, it was business as usual today. Dybala was utterly magical today and the timing couldn’t be more perfect given the upcoming fixtures this month. Although I’m beating on a dead horse here, the lack of rotation is extremely worrying as players like Higuaín, Dybala, and Khedira are going through an extraordinary amount of minutes. I’m not necessarily blaming Allegri here as the problem is evidently squad depth. It’s funny because I’ve generally shied away from blaming the management for this issue, but maybe I have to slightly backtrack on that after all. Nevertheless, the game we’re all thinking about will now fully be on the spotlight. I’m excited; I hope you guys are, too! Andiamo!

I still can’t get over that Higuaín miss, though. Woow.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

2-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 23'

Gonzalo Higuaín 84'

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Juventus 2 – 0 Chievo Match Report and Player Ratings

FBL-ITA-SERIEA-JUVENTUS-CHIEVO-940x627.j

http://www.juvefc.com/juventus-2-0-chievo-match-report-player-ratings/

Apr 9, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus 2-0 Chievo

Goals: Higuain 23, 84 (Juventus)

A Higuain brace was enough to see off a resilient Chievo side as Juventus stretch their lead to +9 points in the league

With Barcelona around the corner, Allegri opted to rotate the team as much as humanly possible, opting for Andrea Barzagli and Daniele Rugani in defence while Stefano Sturaro sat in on the left of midfield for the injured Mario Mandzukic. It made perfect sense to switch around the starting XI when you factor in two gruelling games in a row against Napoli and arguably our most important game of the season (to date) fast approaching.

Juve started the game as they finished it – In total control, creating chances with relative ease, building up slowly, but rarely conceding possession. Sami Khedira had the first of the chances, a snapshot that stung the palms of Seculin before young Paulo Dybala fired a powerful strike that was fingertipped out by the Chievo keeper. There was plenty to like about Dybala’s performance, albeit against a mid-table Chievo side that look comfortably clear of the drop. He was bright, sharp, and inventive, his positioning was superb and he found Higuain with a great pull-back to open the scoring. Its fortunate that he’s finding his form at just the right time of the season, having looked much brighter in the two games against Napoli and looking a real creative force against the flying donkeys.

Follow

OptaPaolo

✔@OptaPaolo

95 - Paulo #Dybala tonight recorded his record of touches (95) and successful passes (57) in a single Serie A game. Joya. #JuveChievo

10:42 PM - 8 Apr 2017

84 Retweets

83 likes

Gigi Buffon made his only real save of the night soon after the restart, beating away an effort from the perennial Sergio Pellissier as Chievo looked to threaten more in the second half. Despite their attempts at a comeback, Juve looked in control. A half chance from Roberto Inglese was headed just over the bar before Juve had a chance to kill-off the game when Dybala played a 1-2 with Khedira who shot wide; Higuain found himself with space and time but inexplicably fired wide from 12 yards out but thankfully he was on hand shortly after to secure the result, late in the second half after some great play from Dybala – La Joya dribbled into the box and spread the ball to Lichtsteiner with a no-look pass who squared the ball for Higuain to tap in.

juventus-forward-gonzalo-higuain-from-ar

It leaves Juve with a 9 point advantage at the top of the table as Roma travel to Bologna in a potentially tricky tie. If the Bianconeri and the Giallorossi continue to win every game until their showdown in the middle of May, Juve could win the Scudetto in the capital with a victory over their title-rivals.

A few brief thoughts from last night’s game:

– Higuain has been superb – Despite dropping off for a month or so and failing to find the net in the league for 5 games, he’s now on 27 goals for the season in all competitions and could feasibly hit 30. That’s a remarkable return when you consider he’s had to do a lot of the grunt work up front and much of his goal-haul last season was down to the great support he had from Hamsik, Callejon and Insigne. Pipita is also the first Juventus player to hit 20 league goals in his debut season since John Charles (28 goals) and Omar Sivori (22) in 1957-58.

– Hats off to Max Allegri for his comments post game:

Follow

Juvefc.com @juvefcdotcom

Allegri: “I am happy for those who have spectacular football, but if I want a spectacle then I’ll go to the circus. I want three points."

11:32 PM - 8 Apr 2017

207 Retweets

272 likes

– There have been plenty of comments on Juve’s brand of football this season, especially since the change to 4-2-3-1. Some initially applauded the tactical change, however in recent weeks, there have been accusations of Juve playing ‘anti-football’ by being ultra-defensive, especially over the last 7 days when we played Napoli in two contests. If you want to contrast, lets not forget that despite their seemingly attractive brand of football, the partenopei are out of the Champions League, out of the Coppa Italia and seemingly out of the title race. For all their merits and their approach to football, they’ll end the season without a trophy while Juve are still in the running for a treble – I’ll take that any day of the week over spectacular goals, intricate passing and 90 mins of attack.

– I touched on it earlier, but it’s important to note how much of an improvement there’s been in Dybala’s game just recently. It’s entirely possible that other matters were weighing on his mind or that he was unsure of his place in this new formation. He’s playing with more freedom at times, but struggling to impose himself on the game – The last few games have seen him have more of an impact on the matches by taking on more responsibility and making his presence felt more, being more direct and less passive. It’s telling and it’ll be of huge importance when we face Barcelona next week.

23h

Adam Digby

✔ @Adz77

Three days until the biggest game of the season & this man has been sensational. What a performance from @PauDybala_JR! #JuveChievo pic.twitter.com/VQjWM36f47

Follow

Adam Digby

✔@Adz77

.@PauDybala_JR's superb attacking display during #JuveChievo 57/63 passes (90.5%) 3 chances created, 1 assist, 6/9 take-ons (via @StatsZone) pic.twitter.com/gX4r8pqsGf

9:54 AM - 9 Apr 2017

2 Retweets

7 likes

– On a side note, Gigi Buffon made his 616th Serie A appearance last night, taking him clear into 2nd place in the all-time list, with only Paolo Maldini (647) ahead of him. A remarkable feat for the captain and I sincerely hope he goes on to take the title to add alongside the various other records he’s broken over the last 5 seasons.

Overall, it was a great display against a mid-table side that had little more than pride to play for. We controlled the game, created a number of clear chances, dictated the pace and tempo and reduced the visitors to just a handful of half-chances. The positives are plenty: No injuries, a clean sheet, key-players rested ahead of a crunch game, Dybala in the best possible form, Higuain back in the goals, Khedira showing some flashes of brilliance and Marchisio almost back to his talismanic best. Onwards and upwards!

LINEUPS:

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner (Dani Alves 85), Barzagli, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Khedira, Marchisio; Cuadrado (Lemina 65), Dybala, Sturaro (Bonucci 72); Higuain

Chievo: Seculin; Cacciatore, Spolli, Cesar, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Hetemaj (De Guzman 74); Birsa; Pellissier, Meggiorini (Inglese 66)

Ref: Fabbri

Player Ratings

BUFFON: Seldom troubled by Chievo, but on the one occasion he was called into action, he palmed away Pellisiers effort with ease. Always alert and composed. 6.5

LICHTSTEINER: Starting in place of Dani Alves, he put in a solid display, controlling the right-flank with a strong performance, and even managed to provide an assist for Higuain. 7.0

BARZAGLI: Seldom troubled by Inglese or Pellisier, held his ground well and helped us to another clean sheet on a straight-forward night. 6.5

RUGANI: It was a welcome change to see the youngster start a game as he will ultimately be leading the defensive line in years to come, and these are the perfect games to see him feature in. Was berated briefly by Gigi who urged to keep his focus until the end of the game. Worked hard alongside Barzagli and played his part at the back with confidence. 6.5

ALEX SANDRO: Had plenty of joy down the left, pushing up and down the channels and getting back to defend when needed. Solid 6.5

MARCHISIO: It’s fair to say Juve are a much better side when Marchisio is on the pitch and playing at full fitness. Completed 93% of his passes, buzzing around the pitch, controlling things form the centre and looking like he’s close to his best again. 7.5

KHEDIRA: There’s been a real step up in quality from the German midfielder in the last week – He was a powerhouse against Napoli in the league game and continued that form against Chievo, working tirelessly, getting into the box to support the attack and linking well with Marchisio. 7.5

CUADRADO: Some decent crosses and well timed runs, good link up with Lichtsteiner, but the end product is still missing at times from the Colombian. He can and should offer much more in the final third. 6.0

STURARO: Looked utterly lost out on the flanks, filling in for Mandzukic. He seems to play better in the centre of the pitch so this was a real stretch for the young midfielder who struggled. 5.5

DYBALA: Immense, superb and sublime, in equal mesaure. Despite the opposition, take nothing away from the young forward who played delightful passes, pulled defenders out of position with his well timed runs and tested the keeper at times. 9.0

HIGUAIN: A great return to form for the Argentine this week. 2 goals against his former employers and another brace last night in a tight game where Chievo gave him little space to operate at times. He’s back to his clinical best and took both his goals with a fine finish. 9.0

Substitutes:

LEMINA: Interesting choice to be played out wide and he has the feet for it, but sometimes struggled in the defensive part of his game. It’s a shame to see him reduced to a bit-part player this season as he has obvious talent. 5.5

BONUCCI: A brief cameo where he picked up a booking and looked a little off the pace. A nice warm up ahead of Barcelona, not much more. 6.0

DANI ALVES: N/A

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · April 10, 2017

JUVENTUS - BARCELONA

-

QUARTER FINALS - FIRST LEG

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

Juventus must be bold

Ahead of the first leg of the Barcelona tie, Gaby McKay analyses

the strengths and weaknesses of the Bianconeri.

http://www.football-italia.net/100850/juventus-must-be-bold

Apr 9, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Much has been made in the run-up to Juventus’ clash with Barcelona of the opportunity for the Old Lady to seek revenge for her 2015 Champions League Final defeat. On that occasion the Blaugrana dominated the first-half, only for the Italian champions to fight back before being undone by Luis Suarez and a last-second Neymar goal on the break.

While that famous Juve defence remains intact - and won’t Giorgio Chiellini be keen to get at Suarez, having missed the Berlin Final through injury? - this is in fact a vastly different Bianconeri side to the one of three years ago, with an entirely dissimilar set of characteristics.

Back then, Juve had perhaps the only midfield on the continent which could measure up to Barça’s. While the Catalan outfit could boast Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic, plus Xavi from the bench, the Torinese had their ‘Fantastic Four’ in the shape of Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio.

While Barcelona can still field all of their midfield stars from two years ago, only Marchisio remains in the Juventus engine room. Indeed, what was one of the Old Lady’s greatest strengths now looks like a relative weakness. Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic are fine players, but the German doesn’t have the physicality of Vidal and Pjanic has blown hot and cold this season.

Marchisio has been more of a peripheral figure this season as he recovers from a cruciate ligament injury, with Khedira and Pjanic operating in a 4-2-3-1. Given the strength of the opposition’s midfield, however, Max Allegri may opt to reinstate il Principino in a three-man unit.

If the middle of the park looks weaker, it’s entirely the opposite at the top end of the pitch. Two years ago the lack of a real goal scorer was seen as Juve’s biggest shortcoming. Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Alvaro Morata are good players, but can currently be found at Shanghai Shenhua, Swansea City and on the Real Madrid bench respectively.

These days Allegri can call on one of the most expensively assembled strike forces in world football. Gonzalo Higuain a €90m capture from Napoli has scored at least 20 goals in all but one of the last six seasons, while €40m man Paulo Dybala has drawn comparisons with Lionel Messi. Add the snarling presence of Mario Mandzukic to the equation and the forward line has become one of Juve’s biggest strengths.

That said, of the three only Mandzukic can so far boast any real pedigree in the competition. Higuain averages better than a goal every other game across his career, but has managed just 16 in his 62 Champions League appearances. Dybala only made his European debut last season, but a return of three goals in 13 games isn’t good enough for a player of his calibre. If the Bianconeri are to progress, and you can compare the best soccer odds at Bet365, the Argentine pair need to step up.

The greatest strength of this Juventus team is, of course, the defence. The ‘BBC’ combination of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini need no introduction, while Dani Alves and Alex Sandro are two of the best attacking full-backs in the world. Add to the equation Medhi Benatia, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Daniele Rugani and you have arguably the strongest backline in the world. Oh, and Gigi Buffon will be behind them.

Ironically though, this very strength can also present a strange type of weakness. Barça can’t defend well enough to sit back in games. Even without Messi, Suarez and Neymar - the MSN to Juve’s BBC - they’d be forced to take the game to their opponents.

By contrast, having such a solid defence has at times led the Bianconeri to be overly cautious. Against Bayern Munich last year, Allegri sought to frustrate the Germans in the first leg, only to see his side 2-0 down just after half-time.

In the second half, and for an hour in Bavaria, Juventus went at their opponents and scored four without reply, only to go back into their shells and lose 4-2 in extra-time, 6-4 on aggregate. Allegri has earned the nickname ‘EuroMax’ for his exploits in this competition with Milan and Juve, but he needs to be bolder against the Blaugrana.

If you sit back against Barça, they will score. It’s as simple as that. Juve can’t let their biggest strength become a crutch.

Socrates · April 10, 2017

JUVENTUS - BARCELONA

-

QUARTER FINALS - FIRST LEG

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

Barcelona's loss to Malaga 'is

irrelevant' to Juventus - Max Allegri

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/3099763/max-allegri-

barcelona-loss-to-malaga-is-irrelevant-to-juventus

Apr 9, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri insists that Barcelona's shock 2-0 loss to Malaga on Saturday will not affect how the Italian champions prepare for their upcoming Champions League clash.

Barca will travel to Turin on Tuesday for the quarterfinal first leg on and Allegri believes his side will need to be "on point" to take anything from the match.

"We have to believe we can go through," Allegri told Mediaset Premium after Saturday's 2-0 Serie A win over Cheivo. "[The defeat at Malaga] is irrelevant, because Barcelona are accustomed to playing [big European games].

"We were coming off a couple of tough games and it was only natural we'd be a little tired, so in my view this was one of our toughest games of the season, as we had used up so much energy with [two clashes with] Napoli.

"There's no point sitting here, thinking we're playing against Barcelona -- we have to play and that is all. From [Sunday], we think about Barcelona, but only because it's the next game -- the next game is always the most important.

"When you have Leo Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta, not to mention the others, it's rare you get an off night. We have to be on point, ready to attack at the right time and defend when it's necessary."

Big-money recruit Gonzalo Higuain echoed his manager's sentiments, saying that there is a mutual respect between the two European heavyweights.

"Now we can focus on Barcelona and rest so we can reach that game in top condition," he said.

"We must be calm as it's a very hard match against a great team, but we respect them just as they respect us."

Socrates · April 10, 2017

JUVENTUS - BARCELONA

-

QUARTER FINALS - FIRST LEG

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

Lichtsteiner: Bring on Barcelona!

http://www.football-italia.net/100847/lichtsteiner-bring-barcelona

Apr 9, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Stephan Lichtsteiner assures Juventus “can’t wait to take on Barcelona, as we are confident and in great shape” for the Champions League quarter-final.

The first leg kicks off in Turin on Tuesday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

“We have been waiting for this game for a very long time,” the Swiss international told Mediaset Premium after their 2-0 win over Chievo.

“It’ll be a very different match to this one, but we can’t wait to take on Barcelona. We are confident and in good shape.

“Barcelona struggle at the back and we are dangerous in attack with this 4-2-3-1 system. We hope to have two great performances and get through to the semi-final.”

On Saturday evening, the Blaugrana lost 2-0 to Malaga in La Liga, seeing Neymar sent off.

“We mustn’t allow them too much room, because if in defence you’re in a one-on-one situation with one of their forwards, you’ll be in trouble.

“It’s not easy to win everything, but we are working on it.”

Paulo Dybala was inspirational against Chievo last night, so is he at the world class level?

“I am not a Coach, but I can tell he’s a phenomenon and has everything it takes to enjoy a great career.”

Accedi

JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

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Socrates 7971

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

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Socrates 7971

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